It is considering a ban on under-16s, following Australia’s lead, with the prime minister warning on Tuesday that children risk being drawn into “a world of endless stress and comparison”.
Starmer said the government was ready to take drastic action, a day after announcing it would consider whether specific features should be restricted, such as the age at which children can access the platforms, and how such measures could be enforced.
“This is an extremely complex issue, so it is important that it is properly looked at,” Starmer said.
In the “model” of Australia
Ministers are due to visit Australia, which last month, in order to consider their approach. Technology Minister Liz Kendall said Britain was considering introducing the same age limit as Australia.
While some see the ban as the clearest way to protect children, he told parliament, others fear it could also deprive children of the positive aspects of social media, he added.
Global concerns for children’s mental health
However, governments and regulators around the world are looking at the dangers of children’s exposure to social media and the impact of screen time on their development and mental health.
The recent rapid explosion of AI-generated content online has exacerbated these concerns, as highlighted this month by the public outcry over reports that Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot was generating non-consensual sexual images, including of minors.
Stricter measures and further controls
The British government has already drawn up plans to completely ban AI tools that generate inappropriate images, while also working to prevent children from receiving, sharing or viewing those images on their devices, it said in a statement on Monday.
At the same time, the government said it is also considering removing features that could lead to addictive use of social media.
Britain’s recently implemented Internet Safety Act, one of the strictest safety mechanisms in place, has increased the percentage of children age-checked online from 30% to 47%.
Starmer said childhood should not be influenced by outsiders or pressured to gain ‘likes’, adding that “for too many today, childhood is about a world of endless stress and comparison”.
“We will work with experts to identify the most effective steps we can take to do more,” he said, reiterating that “no option is off the table.”
